Being passive is not the answer in life. Do not expect God to take care of everything for you. Make choices and discern the will of God.
My dear friends in Christ, the feast of St. Mathias, May 14 (yesterday) takes us back to the upper room where Mary and the apostles are waiting in prayer. We do not have any further knowledge of Matthias other than that he was with Jesus from the time of his baptism until the time of his ascension to the Father. He was qualified to replace Judas because he witnessed the full Paschal mystery. Not because he knew someone in a higher position. Not because he knew someone who knows someone who can influence decisions. He did not do any eye service to qualify. He did not begin to make friends that they will vote him in to replace Judas when the time comes. He did not do anything extraordinary to qualify. The community did not act on business as usual either. Mathias was chosen because he was qualified. What do you think about that?
The community considered all the options, all the different men who fit the qualifications, and they chose Mathias and Joseph known as Barsabbas as those qualified to replace Judas. The community acted with the awareness that God is the one who chooses. That is why they prayed before the selection of Judas’ replacement saying: “O Lord, you read the hearts of men. Make known to us which of these two men you chose for this apostolic ministry”.
It should be noted that the discernment of the community to select someone that will take the place of Judas between these two eligible candidates (Mathias and Joseph known as Barsabbas), by way of casting lots, was to discover God’s will. Therefore, let us all remember that no matter the method that we may use in our selections, appointments, or elections, it is always through prayer that we can discover God’s will. Our work is to make our choice conform to God’s choice. So make sure you set your goals right, say prayers about them and work hard.
When Christians fail to experience the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives, it can be either because they are acting totally on their own, independent of God or because they are completely passive and expect God to do everything for them. And that is not advisable.
We must become free participants when God makes His will known to us. We have been chosen and yet we are free. The life of Judas gives us proof that we are still free even when the Lord personally chooses us. Judas was chosen by the Lord, but he made choices of his own, which were contrary to the will God.
St. Peter in Acts 1:15-17, 20-26, says: Judas “deserted the cause and went the way he was destined to go”. He was free but he used his freedom against the will of God. So today, the Word of God says to us: do not allow your intelligence or your freedom to obstruct the will of God. If you do, you will pay the price in no distant time. We can only bear lasting fruit in our lives if we observe the will of God.
As we celebrate St. Mathias, let us ask him to pray that we will “go forth and bear fruit”, according to the will of God. Amen.
Fr. Peter Iwuala is Chaplain at Clara Maass Medical Centre in Belleville, New Jersey, USA.
